My birds mostly free range. So we have a small coop and run is about 3 ft high. I added more, need a bigger coop so this time my husband is building it. The run is huge! And it is about 6-612 ft tall. Which will allow cleaning easily but now I feel the height is almost wasted space. Do y'all incorporate it somehow, like roosts in the run etc?
Many people who free range eventually switch over to keeping them fenced due to predation. If you ever do, you will be glad for the space and the height.
Chickens don’t need that much height in a run, they’ll do OK with just two feet. But that height is not wasted space. You can get in there and that is extremely valuable. You can put perches in there if you wish, but I’d be careful to not put them where they are not in my way. I consider myself quite valuable.
Be able to walk in to the run without crouching is wonderful for the human. Having a three dimensional activity space is entertaining for the chickens. We have a roosting bar mounted at about 3 feet high, and a swing hung down from the roof just above the roosting bar inside the run. My chickens loves to nap on the outdoor roosting bar during the day, jump up there to beg for hand-fed treats, or feast from the oyster shell and grits buffet trays that are mounted on the swing. They are quite content staying in the run all day long, it keeps them active with options to hang out at different vertical tiers.
